Executives today face an increasing number of disruptive crises, from cyberattacks and operational failures to global events. The question is no longer whether a crisis will happen, but how leaders will respond when it does.

Takeaways from: Leading Through a Crisis: Best Practices for Every Executive

To hear the full discussion, watch the full webinar recording here.

The Reality of Crisis Leadership

Dr. Goldman began the discussion with a reality check for executives; leaders cannot opt out of crisis leadership. When disruption occurs, responding to the crisis becomes part of the job, and how leaders respond can ultimately make or break an organization.

Possible Outcomes of a Crisis

Experience has shown that communication is often the most difficult part of any crisis. So what are the possible outcomes for an organization during a crisis?

• A company goes out of business or experiences a major financial loss.
• The organization survives but suffers reputational damage.
• The organization recovers and continues forward.
• The organization emerges stronger than before.

As Goldman explained, crises often define the future of an organization:

“A crisis can either weaken an organization or it can make it stronger, depending on how it is handled.”

Goldman explains that no crisis is ever simply one crisis; most involve multiple interconnected challenges. “Every crisis has multiple dimensions, technical, legal, economic, and reputational.”

Goldman used the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. The crisis was not simply a health emergency; it triggered challenges across organizations, including remote work transitions, IT demands, supply chain disruptions, prevention protocols, and employee well-being. As 

Before an emergency or crisis occurs, organizations can often determine the who, what, where, how, and why. The only factor they cannot predict is when the crisis will happen.

Defining Crisis Priorities

Goldman encouraged participants to clearly define their organization’s response and recovery priorities before a crisis occurs. While these priorities may vary by organization, he emphasized that they almost always begin with people: “In nearly every crisis plan, people come first.”

Beyond employee well-being, leaders must also consider how to protect customers, brand reputation, revenue, shareholder confidence, and the long-term survival of the organization.

The Critical Role of Crisis Communication

Crisis communication involves both receiving and sharing complete, accurate, and timely information during an emergency. Goldman noted how quickly information spreads during modern crises: “A crisis is often posted on social media within five to six minutes, not hours.”

All this begs the question: what do organizations need to do? Goldman stresses that they need to have a crisis communication plan or strategy, prepare for the communication onslaught, practice realistic communication responses to help make it heard, and when a crisis occurs, leaders must lead, not follow.

During the session, Goldman walked through several real-world crisis examples—including Harvard Medical School, natural gas pipeline over-pressurization incidents, and American Airlines’ Heathrow catering disruption- to illustrate how communication decisions shape crisis outcomes.

To hear the full case discussions and leadership lessons, watch the full webinar recording here.

Five Guiding Principles of Crisis Leadership

Goldman shared five guiding principles that should shape leadership decisions during a crisis. These principles help leaders navigate complex situations while maintaining trust and responsibility.

• Prioritize the well-being of people first, approaching the situation with care and compassion for those affected.
• Assume responsibility for managing the crisis, even when the situation is complex or evolving.
• Address the needs and concerns of stakeholders in a timely manner, including employees, customers, regulators, and partners.
• Base decisions on honesty, legal guidance, and ethical principles to maintain credibility and trust.
• Maintain visible and open communication with all impacted parties throughout the crisis.

Together, these principles provide a foundation for leaders to respond thoughtfully and responsibly when unexpected challenges arise.

Executive Responsibilities Before, During, and After a Crisis

Before a crisis

• Executives are expected to be prepared.
• Ensuring crisis activation and response plans exist.
• Meeting regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Understanding crisis roles and responsibilities.
• Maintaining updated internal and external contact lists.
• Participating in training exercises and simulations.
• Being ready to activate response procedures when a crisis is declared.

During a crisis

• Assemble with the crisis management team.
• Lead your department’s response actions.
• Coordinate with internal and external responders.
• Advise leadership on crisis response decisions.
• Maintain awareness of long-term impacts.
• Document actions and emerging issues.

After a crisis

• Participate in post-event evaluations.
• Submit reports on response actions and lessons learned.
• Follow up with regulators or government agencies if required.
• Update plans and procedures based on findings.
• Implement training and improvements for future crises.

Preparing Leaders Through Crisis Simulations

Preparation does not stop with planning; it requires practice. Crisis simulations play a critical role in preparing leaders to respond effectively when real emergencies occur. Sandra Galletti emphasized that simulations allow organizations to test their crisis management plans in a controlled environment before a real crisis unfolds.

Through structured exercises, leadership teams practice decision-making under pressure, coordinating across departments, and communicating with multiple stakeholders while information is still evolving. These simulations often reveal gaps in planning, unclear roles, or communication breakdowns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

More advanced exercises can introduce multiple simultaneous disruptions, forcing leaders to navigate competing priorities, limited resources, and rapidly changing information.

Leading Through Uncertainty 

Crisis leadership is no longer a skill reserved for a small group of specialists. As disruptions become more frequent and complex, executives across industries must be prepared to lead their organizations through unexpected events.

As Goldman emphasized throughout the discussion, crises rarely unfold as a single event; they often involve multiple interconnected challenges that require coordinated leadership, thoughtful communication, and rapid decision-making.

Organizations that invest in preparation before a crisis occurs are better positioned not only to recover, but in some cases to emerge stronger than before.

To hear the full discussion and learn more about additional real-world crisis scenarios, watch the webinar recording here.

We are currently developing a new course related to this topic. In the meantime, explore our Building Organizational Resilience: A System Approach to Mitigating Risk and Uncertainty course, where leaders learn practical frameworks to anticipate risk, improve system performance, and strengthen their organization's ability to respond to unexpected events.